


The Announcement

by HQuinn



Series: Warden Arianna [12]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 07:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5084020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HQuinn/pseuds/HQuinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders is so engaged in his work that he's doing to help the King, that he nearly misses something important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place a few years after "Finding Life Again"

Anders let out an audible sigh. The mountain of paperwork before him seemed unending. It was all a series of letters, requests, and, in some cases thinly veiled demands, from mages in Ferelden, addressed to the King. King Alistair was overwhelmed by them and had reached out to Anders to help determine which were urgent needs that required the King's attention, which ones needed more information, which ones were ridiculous and should just be ignored, and which ones were clearly pranks. “Manroot” indeed, he chuckled reading one.

 

Anders was not used to dealing with politics, and this was giving him a headache. He was much more comfortable in his clinic helping the sick and injured. But, he wanted to do a good job of this request from the Ferelden Monarch. Anders saw it as a chance to prove to himself, as well as to his wife and King, that he was useful. He knew neither would ever suggest he wasn't, he knew his beautiful Ari only saw the good in him. Just the same, he saw all the good the two of them did to help the citizens of Ferelden, and he wanted to help in some way as well. If nothing else, it was one more way to atone for the sins in his past.

 

A small smile passed his lips as he was reading another letter. He could hear the laughter of his family in the next room. Ari had just returned from a two-week diplomatic trip to the south. The children, Eleanor and Karl, were ecstatic to have their mother back home.

 

She was supposed to be putting them to bed, but he could hear them giggling about something. He couldn't make out what they were talking about. He chuckled to himself when he heard Karl yell out “Yes!” followed by laughter from the females and what sounded like shushing. As much as it was distracting him from his reading, Anders still took pleasure from the sounds of a home, _his home_ , full of love and joy, something he never thought he'd have when he was in the circle.

 

He wrote some notes on recommendations as he read through the letters, hoping they would be of help to the King. It wasn't until he'd plowed through four more letters that he realized the house had fallen quiet. A sign that the children were asleep now for sure. He looked up briefly when he heard her enter, returning her warm smile. Ari carried in a tray. When she placed it before him, he could see it had tea, some of her beef stew (his favorite dish), and bread. Anders stood, papers still in hand, and bent his head down to give her a quick kiss before returning his attention back to the papers.

 

“Don't forget to stop and eat at some point. I don't want you getting all skinny like Kirkwall. People will think I don't take good care of you,” she teased him. Anders grinned. Even before they had found love, she had always looked out for him, even when he didn't do it for himself. It was something he had loved about her. He nodded absentmindedly.

 

“Sounds like you had trouble getting the terrible two down for bed.” he commented, referring to his nickname for their kids. His attention still on the letter.

 

Ari hummed in agreement. “The wanted to hear about my trip. And Karl was a little excited. Seems he was very happy to hear he's going to be a big brother.”

 

Anders nodded, clearly only half-listening. “Good, he'll like that.” he answered in a disinterested voice. He was engrossed in a letter. It was detailing issues some mages were having being harassed by a group of former Templars. Anders made a note that perhaps this was something the Inquisition could help with. Cullen could probably give some advice if nothing else. Maybe Cullen could visit. Karl liked it when Cullen visited. Karl could ask him about being an older brother since Cullen had younger siblings. Karl could....

WAIT!

 

Anders brain stopped trying to read the letter and seemed to be reviewing the train of thought it had just been on.

 

Ari watched her husband's face with amusement as it went from disinterest (clearly focused on the paper in his hand), to confusion. And then she could see the exact moment the meaning of her words had sunk in.

 

He looked at her, still standing in the same spot, papers still held at chest height where he had been reading them. “Ari? Did you just say...”

 

She gave him a small smile and nodded.

 

Letters flew in the air as Anders quickly pulled her to him. One hand wrapped around her waist, the other in her hair as he pressed his lips to her, cutting off her laughter. Unlike the last kiss, he was fully engaged in this one, putting all his love and euphoria into the kiss.

 

He pulled back only slightly so he could see her. “When?”

 

Ari laughed again “Caught up now, are you?” He nodded the huge grin still plastered to his face. “I started feeling sick on the way there. Ali teased me that maybe I was pregnant. By the time we arrived it was clear I needed to see a healer, and she confirmed it. About seven months from now, Karl gets an upgrade in status to 'Older Brother'.”

 

Anders picked her up, and spun her around once before placing her feet back on the floor and pulling her in for another hug. Ari let out a happy sigh. Last time he had been the one to tell her that Karl was on the way, she hadn't even had morning sickness yet, so it had been a complete surprise. This time she got the pleasure of getting to surprise him. His reaction was even better than she had expected.

 

“Well, those letters are waiting until tomorrow.” Anders chuckled, placing a hand on her abdomen. “Come you two, let's celebrate by sitting by the fire while I give my love a proper foot rub.”

 

He then bent down and picked up a giggling Ari bridal style, and carried her out of the room.


End file.
